Flexibility with director cuts still weak

[Jason Anderson]

I was hoping the "increased interactivity" that is often (yet vaguely) boasted would include better control/options over versions of a film. So far BD releases have been (like DVD selection) a mixed bag.

Take Terminator 2 for example. I love some of the addiditons in the directors cut but not others. It would have been a delightful (interactive!) innovation to have the option to pick and choose which extras to include when the movie plays.
Okay, maybe that's a tall order, but in the case of T2 I can't forgive them for releasing a shiny new version with only the original cut when they've alreay sold the director's version in VHS/DVD wide/cropped formats. Including it would not have been hard, they just want to get money for yet another version next year.

Unreleased versions bother me even more than the one-at-a-time game. For example, the original version of Yellow Submarine was never released on DVD. The DVD version is slightly cut with an extra (Hey Bulldog) song added near the end. Anyone who has a sentimental attachment to the old version or thinks that the addition detracts from the pace is out of luck. This limited choice is not nessecary on BD, nor was it on DVD, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that BD releases will be any better about cut options.

Resolution is nice, but it only serves to display the movie you're watching. Some 'directors' cuts are poorly-done afterthoughts, and given the choice I would sooner watch the cut I wanted on VHS than a high-def version of an ill-concieved cut. Do the studios get this concept?

[WriteSimply]

Maybe an experimental film can be done where you choose the bits you like and the bits you don't like.

However for films that are the directors' cut (theatrical or re-cut), it is obvious that the directors wants you to see the film as they intend you to see it. Otherwise it'd be called Terminator 2: Everything and The T1000.

As far as getting everything in, it is a hard call especially at this early stage.


fuad

[JTK]

We all need to be patient.

Remember, this is still all first gen stuff coming out right now.

[phranctoast]

they'll probably re-release all the movies again to utilize the bd-java. Damn movie companies.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by phranctoast

they'll probably re-release all the movies again to utilize the bd-java. Damn movie companies.

You can count on it.

In fact, I'd easily earmark all of the early discs that there were complaints about and probably any BD25 discs at all getting a double dip of some sort within the next two years, if I had to be a betting man working off of precedent.

[Knight-Errant]

On the commentary for the Extreme Edition DVD of T2, James Cameron says he stands by the theatrical cut of the film and it doesn't represent a compromise.

[Chad Varnadore]

Before HD/BD streeted I was of the same mind figuring I'd never upgrade from the Extended Edition DVDs of Lord of the Rings if New Line chose to release the theatrical version at first instead, saving room for the dreaded double dip. But having acclimated to high def now, I can hardly watch the EEs of LOTRs on DVD. They don't do anything for me in sight or sound like they once did.

Word is that LG has already commissioned work on the DC for T2. It's presumed that some early titles didn't include DCs early on because seamless branching wasn't ready yet. They can do seamless branching now I believe, so hopefully we'll see it put to use where applicable.

I wouldn't expect to see very many double dips on BD/HD for awhile though. Like any new format, studios are going to be more concerned with getting out as large a variety of titles on shelves as they can to try to sell the format. Double dips will come later, when market penetration has hit the point where they'll be more profitable. This is why it's so disappointing that some studios aren't releasing the preferred cuts of the films right now.

[Quarkman]

I was about to post a thread about that lack of flexibilty/options with movies that have different versions (typically director's cut and theatrical cut).

It would be really great if Blu-Rays could offer that : put a java applet on the BD that knows which scenes are part of the director's cut and which are not, and skip certain parts depending on which version you asked to watch.
You could then put on one disc the extended version of a film and have the original version as well without it taking additional space.

I'm really on your side Jason, I was already asking for that on DVD but we told me it was technically impossible..

The two versions of Terminator 2 is a very good example. And I abolutly don't want in the futur to buy two times the same movie just to have both director's and theatrical cuts.

Here are some other titles that would be great to have on blu-ray with that imaginary feature to chose which version to watch :

• Das Boot (theatrical and extended)
• Léon (theatrical and extended)
• The Big Blue (theatrical and extended)
• Lord of the Rings (theatrical and extended)
• Star Wars (old and remastered version)
• (all movies with rated and unrated versions)

[Neo]

Originally Posted by Knight-Errant

On the commentary for the Extreme Edition DVD of T2, James Cameron says he stands by the theatrical cut of the film and it doesn't represent a compromise.

Is their another Version ???

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by Neo

Is their another Version ???

Of the movie? There's the theatrical cut and a special edition with added footage.

[atomik kinder]

What is with all the bringing threads back from the dead today? Anyway, I think if you are able to choose what scenes you want to include with the director's cut, you may be losing some plot points and some of the additional scenes may no longer make sense. That is one of the reasons I think being able to rearrange scenes in a movie is a stupid idea.

[tiger roach]

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I just want to watch the movie. I have watched the extra features on a DVD 2-3 times tops, and I doubt I would ever mess around with alternate camera angles or swapping scenes around if that was an option.

[WickyWoo]

That's the whole point of "director's cut". He doesn't need an armchair director second guessing him any more than the studio

Hit chapter forward if you don't like a part

[HDJK]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

That's the whole point of "director's cut". He doesn't need an armchair director second guessing him any more than the studio

Hit chapter forward if you don't like a part

Amen

[WriteSimply]

Well the upcoming CE3K will have three different cuts on one disc done via seamless branching. It is the same thing done by the second edition of T2 on DVD.

According to paidgeek, Spidey 2 will be the first title from SPHE that will have seamless branching.

So I don't have a problem with a theatrical and director's cut in one disc via seamless branching so long as the PQ/AQ doesn't suffer. LOTR is too long to do that to fit in one disc though.


fuad

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Well the upcoming CE3K will have three different cuts on one disc done via seamless branching. It is the same thing done by the second edition of T2 on DVD.

According to paidgeek, Spidey 2 will be the first title from SPHE that will have seamless branching.

So I don't have a problem with a theatrical and director's cut in one disc via seamless branching so long as the PQ/AQ doesn't suffer. LOTR is too long to do that to fit in one disc though.


fuad

I may look dumb but what's CE3K?

[Slapper]

You know WHEN Fox comes back on-board (I anticipate an announcement before the end of the month) they should try to negotiate with George Lucas immediately to get the unedited original Star Wars Trilogy(pre-CGI edits) to release on BD. George has said in the past that the pre-CGI films are not the films he stands by anyway in terms of Creator/Director vision so he might be willing to give the OK on these films.

He seems to be a pretty smart business man and I think this could work in his favor as well as ours. I'll explain:

The release of the original trilogy (pre-CGI edit versions) to hi-def Blu-ray could bring this war to an end. If George were to jump on-board with BD, then other directors, like Spielberg (crosses fingers), might push Universal to release their "blockbuster" movies on BD as well. (BTW: Yes, I know CEOT3K is coming, but CEOT3K was never really a "blockbuster" movie and will not garner huge sales by waiting for the BD format to reach market saturation, but I digress...)

Now, granted, with the small installed base of BD players in households there would not be a huge amount of sales for the original Star Wars Trilogy, initially, so George would not make an obscene amount of money. But, it would drive the BD format forward. Software sells the hardware and the original Star Wars Trilogy would sell a lot of hardware.

This would, very effectively I believe, end the war earlier. If the war ends earlier then the consumer confusion will end earlier. Currently retailers wonder why DVD sales have dropped so drastically. Well, I'll tell you why: their customers are on the fence as to which hi-def disc format they should get and they're not buying DVD because they would RATHER have hi-def!

Now, if the war ends earlier, BD adoption should reach market saturation faster. Once we have 75-100 million players in households, which George is holding out for, just like he did with DVD, he could then release his definitive versions of the Star Wars films (with CGI) and he would get his huge sales numbers and make his big $.

So,if George wants to make his money from hi-def he could single-handedly speed up the process and get his money sooner! Everone wins (except for HD-DVD, but they're going to lose anyway)

Just my $.02 (before taxes).

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Knight-Errant

I may look dumb but what's CE3K?

Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by Knight-Errant

Of the movie? There's the theatrical cut and a special edition with added footage.

Actually, there's also 3rd cut of the film. If you have the Ultimate Edition or whatever it was called, the first DVD with Dolby EX and DTS-ES I believe, you can select the special edition and enter 8-2-9-9-7. I think that's what it is, it's whatever date the world was supposed to end on. Anyway it opens up a 3rd cut of the film with a different ending with some terrible make up.

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

Actually, there's also 3rd cut of the film. If you have the Ultimate Edition or whatever it was called, the first DVD with Dolby EX and DTS-ES I believe, you can select the special edition and enter 8-2-9-9-7. I think that's what it is, it's whatever date the world was supposed to end on. Anyway it opens up a 3rd cut of the film with a different ending with some terrible make up.

Aha you're right of course

And thanks to dialog for identifying the movie. Don't know why I didn't guess that. Very cool